Mileage log template. What actually needs to be in it?
A complete mileage log template per Skatteverket's requirements. Fields, format, example row and common pitfalls. Use as a checklist or template.
A mileage log template needs to contain six columns: date with time, odometer, start address, end address, purpose and driver. If any column is empty the line is not complete. The requirement is the same whether the template is a spreadsheet, a notebook or an automatic service like MPH DriveLog. Here is the template, an example row and the pitfalls to avoid.
The base template
| Column | Format | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Date and time | YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM | Start and stop time |
| Odometer | Kilometers | At start and at stop |
| Start | Address or location | Clear enough to verify |
| End | Address or location | Clear enough to verify |
| Purpose | Free text | Required for business trips |
| Driver | Name | Required for multi-driver cars |
Six columns. Nothing more is formally needed. Nothing less works.
An example row
| Date start | Date stop | Km start | Km stop | Start | End | Purpose | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 08:45 | 2026-06-03 09:20 | 12,432 | 12,467 | Kungsgatan 14, Stockholm | Vasagatan 22, Gothenburg | Meeting with Acme AB | Markus Sandstrom |
Note that purpose should be enough for an independent reviewer to understand what the trip was for. “Meeting” is not enough. “Meeting with Acme AB” is.
Template as spreadsheet
Create a spreadsheet with the columns above. Add a total row at the bottom summing business and private kilometers separately. Freeze the top row so headings always show. Save per calendar year, one sheet per year, so export to the auditor is easy.
Template as notebook
Paper log works too. Ten rows per page is enough. Expect to fill a page per week at normal driving. Keep the log for six years. Write clearly and with the same pen, because inconsistent notes raise suspicion during an audit.
Template as automatic log
In MPH DriveLog the template is built in. You only fill in purpose where needed, everything else happens automatically. Odometer comes from Tesla. Times and addresses too. Driver is set per rule and can be adjusted per trip.
“Do I really need the odometer reading if the car reports GPS distance?”
Yes. Skatteverket wants to see odometer specifically, not calculated distance from coordinates. It is the value on the dashboard that counts, and that is what DriveLog reads.
Pitfalls in the template
Three fields where errors most often sneak in:
- Purpose for business. Too brief does not work. Skatteverket wants to see which client or which errand, not just “client”. Add a sentence, or at least a company name.
- Start and end address. “Home” and “Office” works if you have consistent definitions, but “out” and “town” does not. Geofence zones are a good way to keep it consistent.
- Odometer at stop. Often forgotten because you have already left the car. Solve with automation.
Download the template
If you want a paper template or a spreadsheet, email info@mphvision.com and we will send one. We do it for free because we believe that if you actually start keeping a manual log for 30 days, you will want an automatic one afterward.
What MPH DriveLog does
The template is built in and filled in automatically. PDF and CSV exports follow the same columns, so an auditor or Skatteverket handler immediately recognizes the format.
For the basics see What is a mileage log and Mileage log according to the Swedish Tax Agency.